Satilla River Fishing Guides
Georgia's signature blackwater river, famous for redbreast sunfish on white sandbars, floated and fished from Waycross to the coast.
Guides on the Satilla River
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About the Satilla River
The Satilla is the blackwater river that southeast Georgia is proudest of. It rises in the coastal plain near Fitzgerald, runs southeast past Waycross and Blackshear and empties into St Andrew Sound below Woodbine, and along the way it does the thing that makes a blackwater river worth the trip: dark tea-colored water sliding past brilliant white sandbars under cypress and gum, with a bank of green swamp behind. There are no rapids and almost no gradient. What there is instead is an endless sequence of bends, each with a deep outside cut, a sandbar on the inside and a tangle of deadfall at the head of it.
The Satilla is redbreast sunfish water above all. The river’s redbreast are the fish local anglers plan their spring and summer around, taken on small popping bugs, crickets and spinners cast tight against the cypress knees and the undercut banks. Largemouth bass hold in the same cover, warmouth and bluegill fill in around them, and the catfishing is excellent, with channel cats through the system and flatheads in the deep bends. Bowfin, gar and chain pickerel are common and are increasingly fished for deliberately. In the lower tidal reach striped bass move up out of the sound. Most of the fishing is done from small boats, jon boats and kayaks, and camping on the sandbars is a long-standing part of the culture here.
The gauge at the GA 158 crossing near Waycross reads the upper-middle river and is the go or no-go number. The Satilla is a rain-fed coastal plain river with almost no storage behind it, so it rises fast after a heavy system, spreads into the surrounding swamp rather than staying in the channel, and scatters fish through thousands of acres of flooded timber. Low water is the opposite problem, exposing sandbars and forcing drags. There is no temperature sensor at this site.
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Access
GA 158 crossing near Waycross - the closest public access to the gauge.
Waycross area landings on the upper river - the usual boat and kayak launches.
Burnt Fort landing - a well-known lower river access point.
Atkinson landing near Woodbine - tidal reach access toward the sound.
US 82 crossing near Blackshear - a mid-river bridge access.
Satilla River public boat ramps in Camden County - paved access on the lower river.
US 301 crossing near Folkston vicinity - additional coastal plain bank access.
Seasons
Spring: rising water and the start of the redbreast fishing that the river is known for.
Summer: the classic season, with sandbar camping, low clear water and steady bream fishing.
Fall: cooling water and good bass and catfish action with light river traffic.
Winter: higher and colder, with catfish and crappie the most reliable targets.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Satilla River?
As of Sep 17, 6:30 am, the USGS gauge SATILLA RIVER AT GA 158, NEAR WAYCROSS, GA reads 139 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Satilla River?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin, Chain Pickerel, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redbreast Sunfish, Striped Bass, Warmouth on the Satilla River in Georgia.
Where can you access the Satilla River?
GA 158 crossing near Waycross - the closest public access to the gauge. Waycross area landings on the upper river - the usual boat and kayak launches. Burnt Fort landing - a well-known lower river access point. Atkinson landing near Woodbine - tidal reach access toward the sound. US 82 crossing near Blackshear - a mid-river bridge access. Satilla River public boat ramps in Camden County - paved access on the lower river. US 301 crossing near Folkston vicinity - additional coastal plain bank access.
When is the best time to fish the Satilla River?
Spring: rising water and the start of the redbreast fishing that the river is known for. Summer: the classic season, with sandbar camping, low clear water and steady bream fishing. Fall: cooling water and good bass and catfish action with light river traffic. Winter: higher and colder, with catfish and crappie the most reliable targets.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Satilla River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Georgia agency site: https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing-regulations